U.S. says granting religious freedom in China could boost trust among Taiwanese

TAIPEI – The U.S. ambassador for religious freedom again urged China on Monday to give its people religious freedom, a move he said could help gain trust from self-ruled Taiwan, an island China considers its own.

Sam Brownback said in a speech Friday in Hong Kong that China was waging “war with faith” and that it needed to respect the “sacred right” of people to worship, especially Muslims locked up in internment camps in Xinjiang.

On Monday, he addressed the issue of Taiwan, which China considers a wayward province and has pledged to bring back into the fold, by force if necessary.

“If they want to build some confidence in Taiwan, they should give religious freedom to their own people,” he said. “If they would give religious freedom to their own people, that would be noticeable.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to reassure people in Taiwan in January that religious and legal freedom on the island would be respected under a peaceful “reunification.”